《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taiwan defense expo returns after four-year hiatus

/ Staff writer, with CNA

After a four-year hiatus, the biennial Taiwan Aerospace & Defense Technology Expo （TADTE） opened yesterday in Taipei, with the US joining for the first time in four years.

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The 16th edition of the show is the largest ever displayed, said the Taiwan External Trade Development Council （TAITRA）, an organizer of the event. The expo is being held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center’s Hall 1 until tomorrow.

It features about 280 exhibitors and 970 booths, along with numerous company representatives from 10 countries, TAITRA chairman James Huang （黃志芳） said.

CEREMONY

At the opening ceremony, American Institute in Taiwan （AIT） Director Sandra Oudkirk congratulated the organizers on their historic participation in the biennial expo, which due to the COVID-19 pandemic had not been held since 2019.

“The strong turnout reflects the rapid development and growth of Taiwan’s aerospace and defense industry, as well as the growing international attention to trade and investment opportunities in the Taiwan market,” Oudkirk said in her opening remarks.

She said the AIT is hosting a pavilion at the show for the first time, in light of the two sides’ “long and robust history of partnership in the aerospace and defense sectors.”

The US features some of the biggest US industry leaders, including Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp, L3Harris Technologies Inc, Raytheon Co and BAE Systems Inc, Oudkirk said, adding that 41 small to medium-sized companies are showcasing their products.

The Prague-based Czech-Taiwanese Business Chamber, is also hosting a Czech pavilion at the three-day show for the first time, TAITRA said.

However, the main focus of this year’s exhibition, is the display by the Ministry of National Defense of more than 50 advanced weapon systems, including a new attack drone, a domestically developed jet trainer simulator and an exoskeleton suit.

SHOWCASE

The ministry’s pavilion aims to showcase the armed forces’ combat readiness, as well as reinforce self-defense awareness among Taiwanese, and boost their confidence in the nation’s military, Major General Lee Chien-ching （李健青） said at a pre-show news conference on Wednesday.

The pavilion is divided into five major areas featuring 54 items covering joint combat equipment, dual-use technology, uncrewed aerial vehicles and simulators, Lee said.

It features contributions from the US Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the defense ministry’s Armament Bureau and the Chunshan Institute of Science and Technology, he said.

The expo is open to professional buyers on the first two days only, with the general public gaining free admission tomorrow, the organizers said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES